Gilroy Garlic Festival returns after multi-year hiatus

State of play: The festival is now relaunching at South County Grove in Gilroy Gardens at a much smaller scale.

• This marks the first time the festival won't be held at its longtime home at Christmas Hill Park, a shift driven by the 2019 shooting, soaring insurance costs in its aftermath and the pandemic.
• Attendance will be capped at 9,000 — less than 10% of its size when the event drew more than 100,000 people at its peak.

Catch up quick: Gilroy, dubbed the "Garlic Capital of the World," started the festival in 1979 with garlic-laced food, cooking demos and live music to spotlight its identity as a top garlic producer.

• The 2019 festival was marred by violence when a gunman cut through a fence and opened fire with an assault-style rifle, wounding 17 and killing three — including 6-year old Stephen Romero and 13-year old Keyla Salazar.

The big picture: Organizers hope the revived event can help restore the spirit that once made Gilroy a summer destination.

What to expect: The event will include favorites like garlic ice cream, garlic-themed attractions and "Gourmet Alley," where chefs prepare sizzling shrimp scampi, garlic fries and pepper-steak sandwiches, plus wine tastings and a beer garden.

If you go: Tickets are $35. 10am–6pm Friday through Sunday at 3050 Hecker Pass Highway in Gilroy.